now.”
Trigger dropped his smile and put an edge in his tone. He leaned heavily on the counter, causing Theo to shuffle backward two steps. “I’m gonna give you five seconds to gimme the beer, you zit-faced runt. Five. Four.”
I watched Theo’s lip begin to quiver, and I inwardly groaned. Damn my sense of moral duty. I’d dealt with Trigger last night, and while I wasn’t in the mood to do it again, I felt I’d fare better than Theo, who looked moments away from crying. Trigger had caused enough tears this week. Plus, my Coke was getting warm. I hadn’t stood on my feet for six hours, shuttling trays of food, to reward myself with a lukewarm soda.
Trigger had set his can of beer on the counter, and I slid it away from my sandwich and Coke. I did it with enough force to make it clear I was here first and didn’t appreciate him cutting in line. “How much do I owe?” I asked Theo.
“You again,” Trigger said to me, his mouth forming a swaggering smile. “Don’t you got something better to do than follow me?”
“I was here first,” I said simply.
“You always this prickly? A girl cactus, that’s what you are.” He stroked a finger down my arm, and I batted it away. If he touched me again, I’d break his finger.
“How much do I owe?” I repeated more firmly to Theo.
“Five ninety-seven,” he said nervously.
“Here’s ten. And how much does a case of Miller High Life cost?”
Theo’s chin jerked up, and he watched me with amazement and guilt in equal measure. “Don’t worry about it,” he muttered, “I’ll cover the cost.”
Trigger chuckled, waving for Theo to be quiet. “I’m not gonna let a pretty girl buy my beer.” He faced me. “But I’d love to get you a drink. Once Theo gets me that case, why don’t you hop in my truck? Great party happening tonight at Lake Maloney. I’ll show you a good time. Go on, Theo. Don’t make this girl come to your rescue.”
“Oh, I wasn’t offering to pay for the beer,” I chimed in. “Just curious how much you were trying to walk off with.”
Trigger frowned at me. “What?”
“You have exactly five seconds to get out of here before I call the cops,” I told him. I didn’t have a cell, but I’d seen a pay phone out front and I knew 911 calls were free.
He shook his head, puzzled. “What?” he echoed.
“Let me make this simple.” I pointed to the doors. “Walk that way. Don’t look back, and don’t come in here again.”
Ignoring me, he tilted his head to one side. Through the tipsy glaze in his eyes, I saw a flash of something that made my stomach squeeze. “Have I seen you before?”
I swallowed, but kept the nerves out of my voice. “Yeah, yesterday. Remember? You threw your drink in my face.”
“No, before then. . . .” His voice trailed off, but he eyed me with more intensity, as if trying to recall something from long ago. Whatever he was reaching for, I couldn’t let him find it.
“You’re drunk, Trigger. You can’t see straight, let alone think rationally. You shouldn’t be driving. Call a friend to pick you up.”
“I swear, something about you . . .”
“Go.” I gave him a light shove for emphasis.
A look of concentration still clouded his features, but to my relief, he let my shove propel him backward toward the doors. He pointed an unsteady finger at Theo. “I’ll be back. Next time, no hiding behind your girlfriend,” he slurred with a lopsided smile, the alcohol clearly starting to give him a serious buzz.
The minute Trigger was outside, I said to Theo, “Lock the doors and call the police.”
He balked. “What?”
“If you’re not going to, hand the phone over—I’ll call.”
“W-w-what are you going to tell them?”
“The truth.”
“Trigger will kill me if I turn him in. If you call, it will make everything ten times worse. Please don’t do it!”
“Stop being so dramatic. He’s drunk. He shouldn’t be driving. Anyway, he can’t come after you—he’ll be
Trigger dropped his smile and put an edge in his tone. He leaned heavily on the counter, causing Theo to shuffle backward two steps. “I’m gonna give you five seconds to gimme the beer, you zit-faced runt. Five. Four.”
I watched Theo’s lip begin to quiver, and I inwardly groaned. Damn my sense of moral duty. I’d dealt with Trigger last night, and while I wasn’t in the mood to do it again, I felt I’d fare better than Theo, who looked moments away from crying. Trigger had caused enough tears this week. Plus, my Coke was getting warm. I hadn’t stood on my feet for six hours, shuttling trays of food, to reward myself with a lukewarm soda.
Trigger had set his can of beer on the counter, and I slid it away from my sandwich and Coke. I did it with enough force to make it clear I was here first and didn’t appreciate him cutting in line. “How much do I owe?” I asked Theo.
“You again,” Trigger said to me, his mouth forming a swaggering smile. “Don’t you got something better to do than follow me?”
“I was here first,” I said simply.
“You always this prickly? A girl cactus, that’s what you are.” He stroked a finger down my arm, and I batted it away. If he touched me again, I’d break his finger.
“How much do I owe?” I repeated more firmly to Theo.
“Five ninety-seven,” he said nervously.
“Here’s ten. And how much does a case of Miller High Life cost?”
Theo’s chin jerked up, and he watched me with amazement and guilt in equal measure. “Don’t worry about it,” he muttered, “I’ll cover the cost.”
Trigger chuckled, waving for Theo to be quiet. “I’m not gonna let a pretty girl buy my beer.” He faced me. “But I’d love to get you a drink. Once Theo gets me that case, why don’t you hop in my truck? Great party happening tonight at Lake Maloney. I’ll show you a good time. Go on, Theo. Don’t make this girl come to your rescue.”
“Oh, I wasn’t offering to pay for the beer,” I chimed in. “Just curious how much you were trying to walk off with.”
Trigger frowned at me. “What?”
“You have exactly five seconds to get out of here before I call the cops,” I told him. I didn’t have a cell, but I’d seen a pay phone out front and I knew 911 calls were free.
He shook his head, puzzled. “What?” he echoed.
“Let me make this simple.” I pointed to the doors. “Walk that way. Don’t look back, and don’t come in here again.”
Ignoring me, he tilted his head to one side. Through the tipsy glaze in his eyes, I saw a flash of something that made my stomach squeeze. “Have I seen you before?”
I swallowed, but kept the nerves out of my voice. “Yeah, yesterday. Remember? You threw your drink in my face.”
“No, before then. . . .” His voice trailed off, but he eyed me with more intensity, as if trying to recall something from long ago. Whatever he was reaching for, I couldn’t let him find it.
“You’re drunk, Trigger. You can’t see straight, let alone think rationally. You shouldn’t be driving. Call a friend to pick you up.”
“I swear, something about you . . .”
“Go.” I gave him a light shove for emphasis.
A look of concentration still clouded his features, but to my relief, he let my shove propel him backward toward the doors. He pointed an unsteady finger at Theo. “I’ll be back. Next time, no hiding behind your girlfriend,” he slurred with a lopsided smile, the alcohol clearly starting to give him a serious buzz.
The minute Trigger was outside, I said to Theo, “Lock the doors and call the police.”
He balked. “What?”
“If you’re not going to, hand the phone over—I’ll call.”
“W-w-what are you going to tell them?”
“The truth.”
“Trigger will kill me if I turn him in. If you call, it will make everything ten times worse. Please don’t do it!”
“Stop being so dramatic. He’s drunk. He shouldn’t be driving. Anyway, he can’t come after you—he’ll be
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